Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on (a) allegations of arbitrary detentions, (b) allegations of violent human rights violations, (c) reports of the torture of political prisoners and (d) targeting of journalists committed by security forces in Pakistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We are aware of reports of detainments and human rights violations in Pakistan and continue to monitor the situation closely. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, spoke to the High Commissioner for Pakistan to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan, on 9 May and to Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on 10 and 13 May, where he emphasised the importance of maintaining legal and democratic rights, including the right to protest, adherence to the rule of law, and transparency in legal processes. Where there are allegations of human rights violations, we expect these to be fully investigated in line with international human rights law.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with Pakistani Governmental authorities on the operation of free, fair and safe provincial elections in that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK has a close and longstanding relationship with Pakistan. We respect Pakistan's constitution and do not interfere in its domestic political affairs. In May, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, spoke to the High Commissioner for Pakistan to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan and to Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, emphasising the importance of democratic norms and adherence to the rule of law.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Pakistan on the safety of (a) domestic and (b) foreign journalists in that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK is a champion of media freedom and a proud member of the Media Freedom Coalition. The British High Commission in Islamabad regularly raises media freedom and the protection of journalists with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. On 23 January, the UK's Political Counsellor in Islamabad raised these issues with Muhammad Saleem Baig, Chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support the Government provides to people forcibly displaced from Sudan to third countries with time limited visas to remain in the third country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
On 4 May, the Government announced £5 million of life-saving aid to help meet the urgent needs of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad who have fled the violence in Sudan. The UK will provide assistance such as safe drinking water, food, medical care and shelter to people in need, as well as supporting Gender Based Violence protective services. It is a longstanding principle of the Government that those in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach. The Government's current refugee resettlement schemes allow the UK to support the most vulnerable refugees direct from regions of conflict and instability. The UK is pursuing all diplomatic avenues to end the violence in Sudan, to de-escalate tensions and to secure humanitarian access.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support the Government provides to children forcibly displaced from Sudan to third countries.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
On 4 May, the Government announced £5 million of life-saving aid to help meet the urgent needs of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad who have fled the violence in Sudan. The UK aims to protect and prioritise the most vulnerable people when crises occur. In South Sudan, £1.5 million was allocated to World Food Programme (WFP) for food in border areas, and £500,000 to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for Gender Based Violence protection services. In Chad, £1.5 million was allocated to WFP to preposition food before seasonal floods, and £1 million to the Sahel Regional Fund to support urgent assistance and protection by NGOs. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund and the Red Cross Disaster Response Emergency Fund, and START Fund, all of which the UK contributes to, have activated for Sudan and the region to provide assistance to those in desperate need.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support British citizens who were forcibly displaced from Sudan to third countries to return to the UK.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Since 25 April, the UK has supported the departure of 2,450 people, including British nationals and dependants and other eligible nationals out of Sudan. The British Embassy in Khartoum is temporarily closed and the UK Government is only able to provide limited consular assistance to British nationals still in Sudan, communicating through our telephone consular helpline and Travel Advice updates. British nationals who have left by alternative means to neighbouring countries are receiving full consular support if needed. Sudanese nationals who have travelled to a third country and wish to join family members in the UK will need to apply for a visa, if they do not already have the right to enter the UK. Further information can be found online at GOV.UK.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support forcibly displaced Sudanese citizens who have immediate family members who are British citizens.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Since 25 April, the UK has supported the departure of 2,450 people, including British nationals and dependants and other eligible nationals out of Sudan. The British Embassy in Khartoum is temporarily closed and the UK Government is only able to provide limited consular assistance to British nationals still in Sudan, communicating through our telephone consular helpline and Travel Advice updates. British nationals who have left by alternative means to neighbouring countries are receiving full consular support if needed. Sudanese nationals who have travelled to a third country and wish to join family members in the UK will need to apply for a visa, if they do not already have the right to enter the UK. Further information can be found online at GOV.UK.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Moroccan counterpart on the Paradise golf and beach resort.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to providing support where possible to British investors who lost their investments as a result of the Paradise Golf & Beach Resort property fraud. His Majesty's Ambassador to Morocco regularly raises the issue with senior interlocutors where appropriate, and is pursuing calls with relevant senior officials in Tangier to press for further action. In the interests of the British nationals who invested in the scheme in good faith, we will continue to urge the Moroccan authorities to find a resolution to this dispute as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with LGBT activists and organisations from the (a) Cayman Islands and (b) Bermuda where the right to marriage for same-sex couples is refused by their respective Governments.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The inhabited British Overseas Territories are separate, largely self-governing jurisdictions with their own democratically elected representatives. The relationship with the Overseas Territories is based on partnership. Policy on marriage law is an area of devolved responsibility.
The majority of Overseas Territories have legal recognition and protection for same sex relationships, either through marriage or through civil partnerships as is the case in Bermuda. In 2020 the Governor of the Cayman Islands enacted civil partnership legislation to recognise same-sex partnerships in order to comply with the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal. The UK Government continues to engage with and encourage remaining Territories that have not put in place arrangements to recognise and protect same sex relationships, to do so.
The UK Government remains open to further engagement with LGBT+ activists and organisations across the Overseas Territories to support increased recognition and protections for same-sex relationships in the Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2022 to Question 106747 on Developing Countries: Coronavirus, what steps her Department is taking to help low-income countries to improve the capacity of their health systems to achieve their national target for vaccinating populations against covid-19.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK is working with COVAX, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other partners to support low-income countries in developing sustainable approaches to managing COVID-19 and other diseases. This means integrating COVID-19 vaccination and access to tests and treatment into primary health care. We support countries to set national targets, tailored to their context and priorities.
The UK continues to support strong and resilient national health systems, including public health functions such as surveillance, community engagement and vaccine confidence, to prevent and prepare for future disease outbreaks. For example, the UK leads the partner co-ordination group in Ethiopia, where our support to the national health system includes technical assistance for COVID-19 vaccination policy and delivery planning.